June 17, 2013: Trader Richard Cohen works in a booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

It is easy to understand why the U.S. economy is in crisis and decline. Forget the delusional stock market (fueled by Fed fake money printing). On Main Street our economy is sick and getting sicker.

There are no jobs.

Our country has 90 million working-age, able-bodied Americans are not working -- that’s almost one third of the country.

The workforce participation rate is the lowest in decades.

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The rate of business startups is the lowest in decades. Food stamps, disability, welfare, and Medicaid are at record highs.

We face economic disaster.

Why?

The answer is found in how we treat the heroes of the economy. Fireman are heroes because they run into burning buildings. Policeman are heroes because they run towards the sound of gunshots. That’s why they are called First Responders. Where would we be in a crisis without these heroes?

But our economy relies on heroes, too. I call these heroes "Financial First Responders."

They are the business owners, investors, job creators, and taxpayers. They risk their financial lives, just as policeman and fireman risk their bodies.

They run towards crisis, just like our First Responders.

They are willing to risk their life savings on nothing but a business idea.

Amazing! They even risk their money in the midst of an economic crisis. That takes guts.

Like fireman and policeman, who risk their lives selflessly for others, the Financial First Responders risk their money to create jobs, to provide a better life for their employees, and to provide products that consumers need at a price they can afford.

Their courageous risk-taking is what fuels the entire U.S. economy -- thereby paying the taxes necessary to fund government. Without Financial First Responders the economy and government would grind to a halt.

Obama famously said, “You didn’t build that” to business owners. That statement could be the most ignorant ever uttered by a president.

The truth is the exact opposite.

Nothing could get built by government without the risks taken by business owners. The reason we have roads, highways, bridges, airports, schools and hospitals is the tax dollars paid by Financial First Responders.

Yet while government praises traditional "First Responders" like firemen and policeman, Obama and his socialist cabal demonize, denigrate, and disrespect Financial First Responders.

For our courage and heroic risk-taking we get kicked in the gut.

We are targeted, punished, regulated and taxed to death for our success…and now we’re even persecuted by the IRS.

Next time you wonder why the U.S. economy is failing, just remember that President Obama has created a hostile work environment.

Just remember the 80/20 rule. 80% of success at any business comes from the top 20% of superstar employees.

The same holds true of government. Whether it's Merrill Lynch, or Coldwell Banker, or Charles Schwab, or Facebook, or the state of New Jersey, or the federal government, success is dependent on the rainmakers. The top 20% produce 80% of your profit, pay 80% of your bills.

How do you motivate the rainmakers? It's simple -- the more these superstars produce, the more they get to keep. In any industry in the world, the superstars at the top keep more of what they earn. Plus, they receive bonuses, fancy dinners, vacations, gifts, golf.

Can you imagine if a company came along that reversed that idea. What if this company treated the top 20% like crap.

What if they punished them -- the more they make, the less they keep!

What if this company took away all the extra commissions and bonuses of these superstars…and redistributed the money to the worst 20% of employees.

Can you imagine giving nothing to your superstars, but offering fancy dinners, golf, gifts, and trips around the world to the worst performers?

How absurd. That company would be out of business in 30 days.

Don’t look now, but it’s happening. It's called government.

Under Obama the rules have been reversed. He punishes the superstars at the top for our success. He taxes us to death.

The more you make, the less you keep.

He puts in place so many rules and regulations, that it is impossible to run our businesses anymore. The Financial First Responders are now condemned and punished for our heroism.

Capitalism is under attack.

That is why the U.S. economy is failing. There is only one way to save this country and turnaround this economy...